Bath or basin fitting.



P. MUELLER.

BATH OR BASIN FITTING. APPLIOATION IILEI) 001'. a1, 1908.

Patented Aug.- 15, 1911 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 WITNESSES: IN VENTOR v Philipmudzen I 4- J v -I a r I I W BY 9% ATTORNEY P. MUELLER. I BATH 0R BASINFITTING. APPLIOATION FILED QOT. 31, 1908.

Patented Au 15,1911.

2 SHEETfl-SEBET 2.

/jillli I an I b Pin a}? WUCZZJ' Altar-neg UNITED sra'rns PATENT F E TPHILIP MUELLER, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T H. MUELLER MANUFAC-TUBING COMPANY, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

BATH OR BASIN FITTING.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7 Patented Aug, 15, 1911.

Application filed October 31', 1908. Serial No. 460,436.

12) all whom it my concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP MUELLER, a

i citizen of the United States, and resident of novelty.

This invention relates to baths and closets, and more especially to bathand basin fittings, and the object of the same is to facilitate theattachment of the fitting to a bath tub and the coupling of a single orcompound faucet thereto.

Another object is to lessen the labor an expense of manufacture byreducing the number of parts to a minimum, yet without sacrificingthe-utility of the fitting or producing difliculty with its use even incramped quarters.

To this end the invention consists in a fitting which compris a supplypipe having its inner end larger than the hole through the tub wall andits body threaded where it passes through said hole, an inner flangeirremovable' off the inner end of said pipe, an outer nut engagingsaidthreads, and a detachable coupling between the faucet shank and theinner end of the supply pipe.

The invention further resides in a new article of. manufacture,comprising a coupling-pipe or member having an externally threaded shankadapted'to extend through an aperture in a lavatory member, such as abath-tub, basin or the like, and provided outside said member with anelongated extension of reducedexternal diameter throughout its lengthadapted. for connection with a service pipe, and clamping devices onsaid shank for engaging the opposite walls or faces of the lavatorymember, whereby the fitting may be applied by passing. the extensionthrough the aperture in the lavatory member from the inside and thenslipping one of the clamping devices over the end of the extensionopposite the shank end from. the outside.

The following specification sets forth certain embodiments of this ideain two forms in one of which the inner flange is integral with thesupply, whereas in the other it isremovably mounted thereon over theouter end of the supply pipe. I

In the drawingsFigure '1 is a sectional view showing one form of thisfitting clamped to a tub wall and the supply'pipe broken away adjacentits bend; Fig. 21s a side elevation of'the same form, showing the supplypipe as having a threaded outer end; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of thetub showing two of these fittings in place and leading from the compoundfaucet down through the fioor flanges to the service pipes which areindicated in dotted lines; Fig. 4 is a section of another form 'of thisinvention wherein the flange is mounted against a shoulder on thethimble, but the View is otherwise similar to Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is anelevation of this form of fitting with a threaded outer end, showing its'nut'and flange as run back out of the positions which they occupy inFig. 4.

In setting up the usual bath tub and its fittings the general practiceis to bring the tub into the position it is to occupy, connecting thesupply with the service either before or after the tub is so located,then stick the tail piece of the faucet through the hole in the tubwall, and finally make the coupling between this tail piece and thesupply pipe at a point outside the tub wall andbeneath its rim. Incramped quarters where said rim stands quite close to the wall it isoften difficult for the workman to make this connection because thespace is limited,

the light is poor, and he finds trouble in using his tools. By, thepresent invention I do away with the necessity for having any joint orconnection in the supply pipe at'a "point so near the tub rim that itwould be difficult to manipulate a tool there, although such aconnection may exist and can easily be reached if nothing stands tooclose to that end of the tub. v The connection between the supply andthe service is usually a wipe joint, often made below the floor line asindicated in Fig. 3, and where the workman has more room by reason ofthe inward deflection of the end of the tub wall.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 designates .thesupply pipe comprising a shank and a leg portion or extension, thelatter being connected by a. wipe joint .2 with the service pipe 3beneath the floor flange 4, and continuous and integral from suchconnection upward through its bend 6, through-a hole '18. in the tubwall, to the faucet24; although in Figs. 2 and 5 the supply pipe is madeshorter and its outer end is threaded as at 100 beyond its bend forconnection with another section of supply pipe if desiredor forconnection with the service in case the latter should stand above thefloor lilne. Where the shank of the supply pipe passes through the tubwall it is provided with threads 9 larger than the diameter of its body,and also preferably larger than the threads 100 if understood withoutfurther illustration.

- The numeral 14 designates a flange, preferably dished as at 16 on theside adjacent the tub wall, and on sheet 1 this flange is shown as castintegral with the thimble 19 which reduces the number of parts toaaminimum. On sheet 2, however, the tllinible is enlarged at 26 andshouldered as at 15 and the flange has a-cylindrical bore larger thanthreads 9 and of a size to fit tightly against said shoulder.

The numeral 10 designates. a nut of any approved pattern, threaded tofit the threads 9 and having wrench-hold 11, but the opening through thethreads in the nut is by preference larger thanthe' diameter of the legportion of the pipe 1 (and its threads 100 if employed) so that it aswell as the flange if the latter is removable may be passed over thelength of the supply pipe and taken off its inlet end. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and '3, this fitting therefore requires but twomembersbetween the service and the faucet---one being the v supply withits integral flange, and the other the nut. In the construction shown inFig. 4- there are three members because the flange is not integral withthe supply. In attaching a fixture of this character the nut is re--moved from the supply, the inlet end of the latter is passed through thehole 18 in the tub wall from the inside either before or after settingthe tub in place, the nutis then run over the body of the-supply andengaged with the threads 9, of the shank, the tub may then be broughtinto position where it is to be finally located and connection madebetween the supply pipe and the service, the nut lfiis thentightened upto clamp thetub wall between it and the flange, and finally the faucetis applied and coupled to the thilnble by work performed wholly andentirely within the tub where the light is ample and the workman canreadily use his tools. If there are hotand cold-water pipes as shown inFig. 3 the operation is precisely the same except that probably thefaucet would be coupled to the .two supply pipes be fore the finaltightening up of the nuts 10 thus permitting the pipes to adjust andaline themselves with the shanks of the compound faucet by slightmovements within the holes 18 through which they of course pass loosely.This improved fitting renders itpossible to set up and connect a tub inan extremely small space, because obviously all the workman has to dounder the tub rim is to tighten up the nut 10, the connection with theservice is usually at or beneath the floor line where there is morespace, and the faucet is attached within the tubes ex plained; Yet I donot limit myself to a su,p. i ply pipe which is continuous and integralfrom the service to the faucet, but as shown tions coupled or connectedto each other in 1 any suitable manner, as by a nut 27 engaging theirthreads 100. The bore of the thimble- 19 need not necessarily, be acont-inuation of that of the supply 1, and in Fig. 4 it is shown asenlarged at 29, at a point en'- tirely within the tub so as not only tosave metal but also to provide a chamber within which could work thevalve of the faucet, especially ifthe latter be of the Fuller type. Atthe juncture of said chamber with'the bore of the supply I may provideinwardly projecting radial lugs 25 whereby .a tool such as a screwdriver could be inserted to hold the fitting against rotation while thenut 10 was being set up.

From the foregoing description, takenv in connection with theaccompanying drawin it will be seen that I provide a new artic e.

of manufacture, comprising an improved coupling member that is more orless universally applicable to existing plumbing conditions and whereinthe usual coupling joints which generally exist in fittings'ofthis typeat or adjacent the rim of-the tub or directly beneath the slab of abasin, and

which joints are very cliflicult to make,

owing to the limited space the plumber has tirely dispensed with, thesaidfcoupling sion or leg portion through the aperture in.

the tub wall, from theinside of the tub, and then slipping the clampingdevice over the end of the extension opposite the shank end, v

the said clamping device being broughtinto threaded engagement With thethreaded porin Figs. 2 and 5 the supply maybe in sec-' in which tomanipulate his tools, are ention of the pipe and into clamping contactwith a wall of the tub or other lavatory member in order to hold thefitting securely in place. The fact that the fitting may be applied fromthe inside of the tub, in the mannerstated, is of considerableimportance and a great advantage especially in instances where the spaceprovided for the bathtub is so limited as to render it impossible orimpracticable to apply the fitting after the tub has been placed inposition. With my improved construction the fitting may be applied tothe tub before the latter is set in position, and it also may be appliedafter the tub has been set where there is proper space to work.

What is claimed as new is: 1. As a new article of manufacture, alavatory fitting, comprisinga faucet attaching member having anexternally threaded shank adapted to extend through the aper- .ture inthe lavatory member, and provided outside of the lavatory member with anelongated extension of reduced external diameter throughout its lengthadapted for connection with the service pipe, and clamping devices onsaid shank for engaging the opposite faces of the lavatory member,whereby the fit-ting may be applied by passing the extension through theaperture in the lavatory member from the inside and then slipping one ofthe clamping devices over the end of the extension opposite the shankend.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a bath-tub fitting comprising a"supply-pipe having an externally threaded shank-portion adapted toextend through an aperture in a tub wall and a relatively long legportion of less external diameter than the said shank portion, said legportion having a bend at a pointadjacent the shank portion, and clampingdevices associated with the shank portion of the pipe for clamping thesame to the wall of abath tub, one of said devices being adapted to beslipped over the said leg portion and into engagement with the threadsof the shank portion, the con- "struction and arrangement of parts beingsuch that there are no separate couplingmembers in the supply pipebetween the bend and the shank portion.

The combination with a lavatory receptacle such as. a bath-tub, basin orthe lik having an aperture in its wall, a faucet bory and a servicepipe, of a supply leading from said faucet through the said aperture-tothe service pipe, and comprising a sha k threaded where it passesthrough the apc?ture'and a leg portion, that portion of the shank withinthe lavatory receptacle,being,larger in diameter than theleg portion ofthe supply to provide a chamber for the.

valve of the faucet,'means for coupling the faucet to said shank, a stopmember assowall.

' ciated with the shank for engaging one wall away from said end,threads on the body adjacent said shoulder, a flange adapted to heslipped over the body and threads and to fit on said shoulder, and a nutadapted to be slipped over the body and engaged with the threads.

5. The combination with a bath-tub having an aperture in its wall; of afitting comprising a supply pipe threaded where it passes through saidaperture and enlarged at its inner end to a size larger than theaperture, a shoulder on said enlarged por tion facing away from theinner end, a flange adapted to he slipped over the body of the pipe andengaged with said shoulder, a faucet, means for connecting it with saidend, and a nut adapted to be slipped over the body of the pipe and toengage said the tub threads against the outer face 0 6. The combinationwith a bath-tub having an aperture in its wall, a faucet, and a servicepipe; of a supply leadingfrom said faucet through the aperture to theservice pipe and enlarged within the tub to a size larger than saidaperture, the body of the supply being threaded where it passes throughthe aperture, a nut adapted to be slipped over the body of the supplyand to engage said threads, and means for connecting the faucet andservice to the extremities of said supply.

7. The combination with a bath-tub having an aperture in its Wall, afaucet, and a service pipe; of an integral supply pipe leading from saidfaucet through the aperture to the service pipe and enlarged within thetub to a size larger than said aperture, the body of the supply pipebeing threaded Where it passes through the aperture, a nut adapted to beslipped over the body of the supply pipe and to engage said threads, andmeans for connecting the faucet and service to the extremities of saidsupply pipe.

8. The combination with a bath-tub having an aperture in its wall, afaucet, and a service pipe; of a supply leading from said faucet throughthe aperture to the-service pipe and enlargedwithin the tub to a sizelarger than said aperture, the body of the supply being threaded whereit passes through the aperture-and bent at a point beyond said threads,a nut engaging said threads, and means for connectlng the fancet andservice to the extremities of said supply.

9. The combination with a bath-tub having an aperture in its wall, afaucet, and a service pipe; of an integral Supply pipe leading from saidfaucet through the aperture to the service pipe and enlarged within thetub to a size lar er than said aperture,-

- ing an aperture in its Wall, a faucet, and a service pipe; of anintegral supply pipe leading from said faucet through the aperture tothe service pipe and having a flange within the tub larger than saidaperture the body of the supply pipe being threaded where it passesthrough theaperture, a nut adapted to be slipped over the body of thesupply pipe and to engage said threads, and means for connecting thefaucet and service to the extremities of said supply.

11. The combination with a bath-tub having an aperture in its wall, afaucet, and a service pipe; of an integml supply pipe leading from saidfaucet through the aperture to the service pipe and having a shoulderwithin the tube, the body of the supply pipe being threaded where itpasses through the aperture, a flange and a nut adapted to be slippedover the body of the supply until the flange engages said shoulder andthe nut engages said threads, and means for connecting the faucet andservice pipe to the extremities of said supply.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto sub scribed my signature this 22ndday of October, A. D'. 1908.

PHILIP MUELLER. Witnesses:

VIRGINIA HAMILTON, JOHN L. WADDELI.

